France’s military policy in Africa is changing. It is henceforth difficult to contest the factual truth of this statement. This change is firstly observed in discourse where there is increasing reference to old, out-dated practices as well as the recognition that what was politically possible and acceptable twenty years ago is no longer today. This process of change is found secondly in the modification of action tools as well as the way and at which level these tools are implemented.
Using these reflections as a starting point, the current study proposes to examine the factors at the root of this evolution. In referring to hypotheses put forth in the past, this study will shed new light on the struggles and dynamics at the base of these predicted or observed changes. Unlike existing literature which has, until now, favoured material and utilitarian approaches to explain the transformations already undertaken and promised in African military politics, this study will suggest a perspective inspired by cognitive approaches and centered on policy learning. Thus, rather than seeing these reforms as the exclusive result of structural or systematic changes which occurred in the economic, social or international environment of the States, our analysis will emphasize that this transformation was mainly an adaptation made following lessons learned over the course of previous experiences.
This analysis is founded on the Advocacy Coalition Framework. Developed by Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith, the Advocacy Coalition Framework focuses on the interaction of advocacy coalitions, each composed of actors from various governmental and private organizations who both share a set of normative and causal beliefs and engage in a non-trivial degree of co-ordinated activity over time in order to transform the elements of their beliefs system into public policy.